To
understand Dan Pauly and what he creates, you must first appreciate his
passion for old wood and antiques. Dan is from the Old School, rooted
in a heritage of 4 generations of wood-working artisans. That’s his
lineage, it’s in his DNA and has forged in him a lifetime of true
craftsmanship. He’s proud of that tradition and his work reflects that
pride.
The Pauly legacy
spans two centuries, bridging from Switzerland and Great-Grandfather
Henry (the original homesteader who, after emigrating in the late 1800s,
built many barns in central Minnesota, some of which are still standing)
to Grandpa Carl to Dan’s father, Bob. “As I uncover an old barn or
shed,” Dan says, “I realize that it could be the same lumber that my
great-grandfather used more than 100 years ago. I think that respect for
the craftsmen and craftswomen of the past, and for the wood they used,
make a difference in each new piece I create. Until you have dismantled
an old barn, you can’t imagine the painstaking effort it took from
Old-World craftsmen to erect it. They were each a work of art.”
There are no
shortcuts in the realm in which Dan and The Rustic Way operate. The
keys to producing products of the highest quality that are cherished for
generations are really quite basic:
˜scouring the Midwest region, and beyond,
for the best sources of reclaimed wood
˜taking utmost care in
dismantling/deconstructing aging structures to preserve as much usable
wood as possible in its natural, weathered condition
˜and then relying on two decades of
experience-proven techniques to massage the reclaimed wood -- through
planning, hand-sanding and multiple layers of finish to enhance what’s
already there, bringing out the beauty nature created in 100-plus years
of life. The end result.. Think of the difference between a concrete
countertop…and one made of marble.
As he ushers a centuries-old piece of
wood to the finishing stages. Dan’s creativity and experience make the
difference. “I love applying that initial coat of low-luster finish,”
Dan emphasizes, “because that’s when the beauty in the wood emerges. I
know how the wood will react before I put that first varnish on and I
rarely find it necessary to stain this wonderful old wood beforehand.”
Simply
put, Dan Pauly has a passion for old wood – its warm luster, tight grain
and fascinating, unique history, first as trees harvested from
old-growth forests in the 19th Century and then as lumber
from old structures – barns, granaries, grain elevators, warehouses,
stores. “This wood reflects our natural heritage,” Dan observes, “and
has a much richer and more attractive patina and grain than modern
wood.”
